Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps (Venison, Pork, or Beef)

 

Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps

With all kidding aside…this may be one of my more involved recipes (it is also one of my favorites).  Don’t go running, it’s really pretty easy.  Just break up each step, take your time, and don’t worry about making a mistake…it is really fool proof.  Even if you mess up….it will still be a great dinner.

So, here is the background.  I make this dish with ground venison.  You can use ground beef, pork, chicken, or turkey.  The key is to use any meat that has been through a grinder.  I love venison…and if you have read my recipe for Ground Venison…you can get a feel for my affinity with all things venison.  Whatever kind of meat you use……..always go to your local butcher and get him\her to grind you something fresh.  Ok, so as you can see in the pictures, I serve this with a quick pickle salad and some rice.  Make the pickled veggies up to a few hours before.  If you have a rice cooker….or not, you can start the rice before you begin cooking the ground meat.  You can have the rice and veggies done and waiting for you.  Easy…..no stress right?

Here is what you need:

• Pickled Vegetables (makes 2 cups…enough for 4-6 people depending on how hungry).
  • 1-2 Carrots (one big carrot…or two small)
  • 2 Radishes
  • 1 Small Cucumber (optional)
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh basil
  • 1 scallion
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
    • Wash, peel and chop veggies. Do this as you like.  I like the carrots a bit larger, the radishes sliced thin, and I think I left cucumber out on this round (I would leave the skin on and take the seeds out…thin chop….that’s just me).  Do what makes you comfortable here.
    • Whisk vinegar, salt, sugar, basil, and black pepper together in a non-reactive bowl (glass).
    • Add diced\chopped veggies and stir. Put in fridge for 30 mins to an hour.
  • Rice
    • So, just cook your favorite white rice. Use your rice cooker if you are cool.  Minute rice if you are into that.  Just make 2 cups of rice in whatever way makes you happy.
  • Lettuce wraps
    • Alright……………….I use Fresh Bibb Lettuce….from my local farmers market. I am 99% sure that Butter lettuce and Boston Lettuce are the exact same thing.  The thing is…….Bibb lettuce is easy to find, easy to wash, holds up to wrapping stuff, and really just tastes good.  So get some Bibb Lettuce, pick about 3-4 leaves per person, wash, dry them with a towel, and set aside.
  • Now we get to the cooking. If you can make sloppy joes….you got this.
    • What you need:
      • 1lb ground venison, beef, pork, chicken, or turkey.
      • 1 tablespoon of canola oil (or you can use bacon fat….)
      • 1-2 shallots (minced). Use onion if you don’t have a shallot.
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced).
      • 1 garlic clove (again…minced).
      • 1 teaspoon fish sauce.
      • 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice.
      • 2 scallions (thinly chopped).
      • ¼ cup of fresh cilantro (chopped).
      • 2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped).
    • Here we go:
      • Get a big pan….go big here. You want the meat to brown….not sweat.  Make sure you have enough room for the meat to spread out and get crispy…don’t let it pile up and “steam”.
      • Add your canola oil..or fat. Get the pan hot…for real hot…not smoking and burning….but you want the meat to sizzle when it hits the oil.
      • Add shallots
        • Add salt and pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes until translucent.
      • Add ground meat. Stir around, remember, you want it “browned” not just cooked…..  Cook the meat for about 3 minutes.
      • Add ginger and garlic. Cook and stir for another minute.
      • Add fish sauce and lime juice. Turn the heat off and move pan to a cool burner.  Continue to stir to keep from sticking to pan.
      • Add basil and cilantro.
  • Almost there……
    • Now you just put this mess together!
    • I usually take the rice and put into a small ramekin (tiny bowl), press, and flip over on the plate (easy trick to make your rice look cool……).
    • Organize 3-4 pieces of lettuce on each plate. Fill with meat (don’t go overboard here…you don’t want to make it hard to pick up\eat.
    • Add some of your quick pickled veggies.
    • Dress with a few drops of Sriracha if you like.
    • You can top with a slice of fresh or pickled jalapeno…..( this is my jam for sure).
    • Oh…and I usually add some pickled veggies and soy sauce to the top of my rice.
    • That is it……. Easy right?!?

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Thanks again,

~C

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